Ballet Recital
by DeafAngelLove
Summary: Clint keeps missing his daughter's ballet recitals, and he can't stand it. Set directly before Age of Ultron, so very slight spoilers for the beginning of the movie, just in case people haven't seen it yet


Clint Barton couldn't quite sit still in the stiff school auditorium seating. It was the first time he'd been able to get away from work and come to Lila's ballet recital, and Clint was ecstatic. He was always called away at the last second for some emergency or another, but this time, there was no SHIELD to pull him away and he'd gotten Nat to cover for him with Stark, so he was set. He'd brought a dozen roses for Lila and his camera, despite Laura telling him that photography during the show was frowned upon. Clint had assured her that he'd turn off the flash and no one would notice. Now, he was just waiting for the show to actually begin.

The lights dimmed and the first notes of Verdi's Four Seasons filled the room. The first few dancers skipped out onto the stage in their light green tutus and sparkling pink butterfly wings, representing spring. The little 3-, 4-, 5-year-olds were pretty much doing their own thing, but one couldn't expect much from them anyway. They were having so much fun up on that stage, whirling and twirling, that no one blamed them when the exited a little bit to early or forgot to curtsy at the end of their performance.

In the midst of all the dark green tuts that made up the summer dancers, Clint practically stood up when he spotted Lila. He hasn't seen her all day, per her request the night before. She'd wanted to surprise him with her "grown up" hair and make up. Her hair was pulled up into a traditional ballerina bun and her face and arms sparkled with glitter that she had "accidentally" spilled that morning before she'd left the house. Clint had eyes for no one but his daughter, which might explain why he didn't notice when a woman in a skin tight black suit snuck up behind him.

As soon as the hand touched his shoulder Clint went into attack mode. He grabbed the hand and stood, twisting his attacker around so he faced the wall behind them while holding the arm behind the woman's back. This was exactly why Clint had insisted they sit in the back of the auditorium, in case something like this happened.

"Calm down, Barton," Natasha's voice was hushed in an attempt to not bother any of the other parents watching there children dance.

Clint didn't let go. "What the _hell_ , Nat?" Clint growled in a harsh whisper. "I am watching my little girl's ballet recital. I explicitly told _you_ to make sure everyone knew to _not_ bother me unless the world was ending."

"I thought you'd want to hear this," Natasha whispered back just as harshly. "Now, let me go."

Clint let her go and spun her around. "What's so important?" He asked, his arms crossing over his chest almost automatically.

"Stark thinks he's actually found Loki's scepter this time, and Banner thinks it's a pretty likely location for it," Natasha said, watching Clint's eyes for a reaction.

Clint's eye hardened at the mention of the scepter and he looked back to the stage. Lila and her group were still dancing. It took no time at all to pick out the little Barton on the stage, and Clint could see the smile on her face. She'd been so excited that he'd be able to come watch her dance, and Clint didn't want to go, but Loki's scepter in the wrong hands was a possibly world-endangering crisis and Hydra was the epitome of "wrong hands". Clint closed his eyes and sighed. He leaned down to where Laura was still sitting and whispered, "Tell Lila that I'm sorry and that she looked beautiful up there."

Laura pursed her lips. "Do you have to go?" She asked. Disappointment and understanding mingled in her eyes when Clint nodded.

Clint turned back to Natasha, "Lets go."

He left the bouquet of red roses on his seat.

*Fin*

*AN: Just a little thing because I haven't written anything in a while. There may be a continuation of this, but I'm not sure, it depends on how people like this one. Hope ya'll like it!

-Beth


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